


Streelights and Taxi Cabs

by rudennotgingr



Category: Doctor Who, Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: F/M, Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-10-24
Updated: 2014-10-24
Packaged: 2018-02-22 09:26:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,744
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2502827
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rudennotgingr/pseuds/rudennotgingr
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Rose convinces the Doctor to take a taxi instead of walk.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Streelights and Taxi Cabs

**Author's Note:**

> Written for whoinwhoville who prompted: Ten x Rose (or Tentoo or AU), street corner 2 am. Beta'd by the wonderful jabber-who-key.

"Tell me again why we parked the TARDIS so far away," Rose mumbled from near the Doctor’s shoulder as they walked down the empty sidewalk, headlights rumbling past them.

"Because," he began, looking down at his blonde companion, "If the alien had been hostile, the TARDIS could have potentially spooked them off. Luckily it was just a lost Galatea."

She snorted. "Tell that to the woman who nearly had her face sucked off."

"Rose, the Galatea was _not_ trying to suck off her face. It was merely trying to--"

"I know, I know. _Ask for directions_."

The Doctor's retort silently evaporated into the chilly night air as she shivered and pressed closer to his side. They had forgone their usual hand holding and slightly less common elbow linking for an even more rare occurrence. Especially while walking. His arm was wrapped around her shoulder, allowing him to provide some shelter from the breeze with his coat while her arm was tightly anchored around his waist. He was hyper aware of how her body continued to get closer and closer, stealing whatever warmth she could.

If he was any sort of gentleman he would give her his coat. The cold didn’t bother him anyway. But he wasn’t a gentleman. He was a Time Lord and he was doing what he did best. Making the most of the situation without actually having to admit his feelings. He wasn’t sure if that made him a coward or exceedingly rude. Probably both.

There was a tug on his waist, a weight holding one side in place and causing him to rotate on the spot until he was front to front with Rose. He swallowed, no longer sure what to do with his arms, or with any of his body really. She was so _close_. She sighed and slipped her other arm beneath his coat, gently squeezing his middle and pressing her face into his chest.

“No more walking,” she mumbled against the fabric of his suit jacket.

“Rose.” His voice came out in a squeak, causing him to clear his throat in a rush to cover it up. “It’s only five more miles.”

Tilting her head up, she blinked blearily at him. His hearts leapt into his throat. How could one human look so sleepy and so adorable at the same time? _Sleepy_. Oh, right. They had been awake for the past 42 hours. And while that was nothing to him, her fondness (and human need) for sleep was catching up to her. Especially when they had constantly been on the move, meaning no stolen naps on his shoulder. Not that she had complained. Not once.

Slowly, afraid of pushing his luck, he placed his other arm around her and sighed dramatically. “Oh, alright. Have it your way. I’ll sacrifice my manly pride and we’ll do it the _human_ way and take a, er, taxi.”

“My hero,” she replied somewhat sarcastically, resting her cheek against his chest once more.

He didn’t need to see her face to know that she had rolled her eyes. Smiling, he began scanning the street for the yellow car that would whisk them back to the TARDIS. Luckily, they were in some American city that was just busy enough to fill the streets with cars, even at this late hour. Of course, the sidewalks weren’t as full. People had opted to stay indoors or drive instead of walk out in the cold breeze that promised snow in the near future.

The Doctor wasn’t sure which one of them started swaying. But here they were, standing on a street corner and swaying slowly back and forth while his hands gently rubbed circles on her back. Her head on his chest suddenly felt like a huge weight. Her arms around his waist felt like heavy chains. He needed a taxi. Now. Not because he was feeling trapped. But that little voice that usually told him to run was slowly drowning in her presence, the weights and chains pulling it to the deep recesses of his mind. He needed a taxi before he did something extremely, incredibly, _enormously_ stupid.

His sharp eyes picked out a streak of yellow headed their way. Hailing the taxi with one arm sent a sting of displeasure up the offending limb, instantly missing the warmth of her body. The car pulled up to the curb as he grit his teeth and detached himself from Rose in order to open the door and allow her to slide inside first.

He took a deep breath of the crisp night air, letting the chill cut through his swirling thoughts and chase away her scent. Feeling more sober and in control, he ducked inside.

And nearly choked.

He had expected her to be seated on the far side of the vehicle, well outside of his reach. Instead she was patiently waiting for him in the middle of the grey leather seat. Folding his long legs into the decidedly smaller space, he could feel the panic rising rapidly. Was he supposed to press his legs against the door? Why hadn't she given him more room? What did he do with his arms once he closed the door? _Why was she so bloody close and what was he supposed to do?_

The door clicked shut and he slowly, awkwardly, turned towards her.

Rose snuggled up to his side, yawning widely, and securing an arm low across his waist. He wasn't sure whether to be relieved or wish for spontaneous combustion. He settled his arm around her, noting (not for the first time) how perfectly she fit against his side. Just like their hands. Thier bodies seemed made for each other. There was no way that they would be anything less than perfect if they ever--

The driver loudly cleared his throat.

Oh. Right. They were in a cab...

"Destination?" The cabbie prompted again.

"Er...just…” he paused, tugging on his ear, “You know I didn't pay attention to the street name when we--when we parked. If you could, just drive five miles straight ahead. I'll know the street when I see it."

"Yeah, as long as you aren't staring at the blonde..." the man grumbled, putting the car in gear and checking his mirrors.

The Doctor felt oddly self conscious and terror rushed over him that Rose would catch on to his true motivations and then pull away. So of course, the answer was to verbally deny, deny, deny. "Excuse me? Staring? I was _not_ staring. I don't--"

"Doctor," Rose whispered, her breath ghosting over his neck. "Just hush. It's fine."

The car lurched a bit as the cab pulled away from the curb and into the street.

"Rose,” he whispered, loathe for the cabbie to hear his words and then twist them around, “I do not _stare_. Staring implies--"

"Shut up."

"I'm sorry. What did you say?"

"I told you to stop your babbling. I'm cold and exhausted and it's...wait. What time is it?"

The Doctor resisted the urge to provide her with the answer, knowing his internal clock was far more accurate than the digital green display on the dashboard.

"I asked you a question,” she prodded, poking him in the side.

He sniffed and looked out the window, pretending to watch the buildings go past. "I thought you told me to shut up."

He felt her shift a bit, could feel her eyes zeroing in on his face. When she spoke, her tone was soft and teasing, "I didn't expect you to actually listen. You never have before."

"Are you calling me rude?" he asked, mock serious, snapping his head back to look at her.

"Doctor. The time?" She ignored his question, giving him an impatient look.

"Fine,” he huffed. “But only because you bullied me into it."

She blinked. "I did not bully you--"

"Don't you want to know what time it is?" he teased.

"Oh my--” Rose closed her eyes and took a deep breath before settling her head back against his chest. “You're impossible."

"Not impossible, just a bit--"

"Unlikely. I know, I know.” She wiggled a bit, yawning and using him like her own personal pillow. Not that he minded. Even though it was making his hearts do funny things and his thoughts wander to places they really shouldn’t be going. “How likely is it that I'll get you to tell me the time before we get to our destination?"

"Two a.m."

"Really?"

"Yes. Really."

Rose chuckled quietly and shook her head.

He waited, wondering if she would share the joke. Several seconds ticked by before his patience ran out. "What's so funny?"

"Nothing,” she answered hurriedly. “It's just...it’s nothing."

"No, what is it?"

"You'll probably think it's stupid now."

"Nothing you ever say is stupid." He hooked a finger under her chin and tilted her head up to look into her eyes. "Ever."

Her eyes narrowed as she watched him closely for a moment. She was struggling with some internal battle that he desperately wanted to know about. She worried her bottom lip, giving him his own internal struggle to keep looking into her eyes instead of dropping to her lips.

"Alright,” she stated, making up her mind. “You once told me that you'd never had a life where you stood on a street corner at two in the morning, getting a cab. And well...here we are." She shrugged then nuzzled back against his chest.

He froze for an instant, keeping his hand frozen in mid air and replaying that particular conversation from a literal lifetime ago in his mind as her slight embarrassment tickled something at the edge of his mind. "You remember that?"

"That was the day my dad died, of course I remember it."

"I didn't mean...that's not, I--"

"I know."

They sat in silence as the lights from buildings and cars drifted past them. It was true, he had never had a life like that. A life so... _human_. And really, he had never wanted it to be that way. Not until, well, until Rose if he was being honest with himself. He had never been so conflicted in all his lives. Wanting to give her the stars and all that time and space had to offer, yet simultaneously wanting to venture down the slow path--a life full of nothing but day after day of _Rose_. It was a constant internal battle between what he wanted but could never truly give her and what he knew she deserved. The best. Which wasn't a 900 year old Time Lord.

"Well, we got it mostly right,” he muttered.

"What do you mean?" she asked sleepily.

"We got the time, the street corner, and the cab. But we aren't heading home."

She laughed into his clothing. "You must be more tired than you're letting on. We're heading back to the TARDIS. That is home you daft alien," she mumbled only for him to hear.

He swallowed hard. "Yeah?"

She shifted to look up at him, a soft smile on her lips. "Yes."

His hearts felt so full he was afraid they would burst. A pleasant tingle seeped from his chest into the rest of his body and a huge grin covered his face. Before his impressive brain caught his body doing the stupid thing he had been afraid of earlier, he pressed his lips to hers. He didn’t give himself time to appreciate the feel of them before he jerked back, attempting to tug on his ear and knocking his elbow against the door.

"Sorry,” he blurted, not sure where to look or what to do. _Shitshitshit_. “I shouldn't have. That was--um, sorry."

When he chanced a glance at her, she was staring at him with wide eyes and an unreadable expression that clenched his hearts in fear.

"Stop the cab,” she ordered calmly.

“What?” the cabbie asked, looking into his rear view mirror. “Here?”

“Yes, here!” Rose hissed, swiveling her head to look back at the man.

“Alright, alright,” the man replied, pulling over to the sidewalk.

“You, out,” she instructed, turning back to him. She pointed her finger in his face as his arm slid from around her shoulders. “But don’t run off.”

The Doctor climbed out of the cab in a confused haze. This was it. He had finally gone too far. And now she was going to yell at him and demand he take her home. Forever.

He shuffled up the sidewalk, just enough to be out of the way, and shoved his hands into his trouser pockets. He waited anxiously as she presumably paid the man before joining him out in the cold. His shoulders were already hunched in defeat and a dark cloud settled over his head. He kicked angrily at a stray pebble, the action doing little to make him feel better.

He was so lost in his thoughts of losing Rose thanks to his stupidity that he didn’t hear her approach. He barely registered her figure standing in front of him.

A sharp tug around his neck snapped him out of his stupor. His arms flailed as he stumbled forward, trying to keep his balance. Blinking rapidly, his gaze narrowed in on Rose’s hand clenched around his tie. She was marching purposefully ahead, arm over her shoulder and dragging him along like some puppy who needed scolding. Which he was sure was what to come.

“If we’re going to do this, might as well go for the whole experience,” she said, far too cheery in his opinion, while tossing a tongue touched smile at him before taking them down the nearest alley.

What the…?

“Rose, what--”

She tugged him forward, crashing their lips together and unintentionally causing him to pin her body against the brick building. Or maybe it was intentional? Thought was proving difficult as her free hand snaked up the nape of his neck, ruffling his hair. His body responded automatically, on some buried instinct. One hand splayed against the rough surface next to her head while the other gripped her waist. He pressed forward, his hips aligning with hers as she pulled on his tie, encouraging him to get as close as possible.

Her tongue tested the seam of his lips, finding no resistance. He allowed one pass of her tongue before eagerly chasing it back into her mouth with his own. Her taste overwhelmed him--the strong coffee they had grabbed hours ago, the spearmint gum she had procured from one of his pockets shortly after, and of course _Rose_. There was a low rumble in his chest as the feel of her body sandwiched between his and the wall burned into his mind--her soft curves, her small nose against his cheek, her fingers scratching at his scalp.

He was on overload, the taste and smell and feel and, _sweet Rassilon_ , they were actually, finally doing this. Time lines swirled and stretched and he was high on Rose and the possibilities shifting before him. He couldn't get enough and he would gladly spend the next 900 years taking the time to memorize the feel of her lips moving in time with his own.

The Doctor's respiratory bypass failed to kick in and he found himself in the loathsome position of having to pull away. He rested his forehead against hers, bringing his hand resting against brick to cup her smooth cheek instead. The fact that she was breathing just as heavily as he was made him feel decidedly less embarrassed. And he couldn't wait to repeat the activity. Hopefully soon.

"I think we should take this back to the TARDIS," Rose whispered after a moment, her breathing still a touch ragged. "And get properly warmed up."

He leaned his head back, eyes wide as his brain made the leap to the preferred method of getting warm. Naked.

"I didn't mean that. Well, I do...just...later. Right now I want to test out just how impressive Time Lord snogging techniques are." She smiled, her tongue poking out behind her teeth and her eyes dancing with mischief.

"My technique is perfect thank you very much," he preened, excited at the prospect of what _later_ would bring but not feeling the need to rush. "These lips were made for snogging."

"Oh?" Rose arched an eyebrow. "And how exactly do you know that?"

The Doctor leaned down, brushing his nose against hers and grinning widely. "They were made for you."


End file.
